Converting and Painting a Miniature for Numenera.

I've recently started playing in a Numenera game with a great group of players. Numenera is a sort of dark age of technology setting that takes place a billion years into the future and uses evolved technologies in ways that mimic magic. It's a beautiful setting that is written well and uses a system that allows for a lot of player interaction while keeping the game moving. 

I'm enjoying it so much that I decided to convert and model a mini of my character Chert Blazebeard. Chert is a re-imagined version of an earlier D&D character of mine who is sort of a traveling warrior/weapons-smith. He began life as a farmboy, became a smith's apprentice and now travels the lands of The Ninth World seeking martial challenges that will help him in his quest for better weapons and fighting techniques as he studies The Way of The Striking Anvil.

Sketch of Chert Blazebeard.

I was going through some Reaper Bones minis at my FLGS and found a great starting mini sculpted by Bobby Jackson. The mini is of a flame-thrower trooper called Torch McHugh 80018 and had a bulkiness and weight that I liked. I'd already started drawing Chert as wearing quilted armor and finding this mini seemed fortuitous.

There was a lot of cutting on this mini that I would not have tried with any material other than the hardened vinyl of Bones. The stuff is brilliant for massive conversions. There are still some issues with detail softening but not enough to worry about. This was going to be a gaming mini and not a contest entry.

The following pictures show the basic steps and tell which greeblies I used. Enjoy!

So much disassembly made so easy.

Even the massive fuel tanks were clipped off easily.

With the head re-angled the whole pose changes.

Arm from Games Workshop.

Pads from Gangs of Mega-City One and shield from The Homer car model kit.

Backpack from Warzone Bauhaus Trooper.

Green stuff for armor, beard, and axe blade.

Very basic paintjob. Simple colors with Citadel Washes and light drybrushing.

Base from Champ Industries.

Chert Blazebeard, ready to rumble!